The children were untying themselves their gifts. He was untying himself gifts for the children.

...Help Please.

I would take the sentences as having an implied subject (they in ἐλύοντο; he/she in ἐλύετο)with direct object τὰ παιδία and dative of means δώροις. The usage of middle-passive endingis due to some relational connection to the subject, perhaps his/her in ἐλύοντο and their in ἐλύετο.

But isn't the subject τα παιδια? The verb is in the passive. I think this rather illustrates the point that a neuter plural subject often takes a singular verb. So both sentences mean the same, "the children were bought free with gifts".

Paul Derouda wrote:But isn't the subject τα παιδια? The verb is in the passive. I think this rather illustrates the point that a neuter plural subject often takes a singular verb. So both sentences mean the same, "the children were bought free with gifts".

That's certainly a possibility. In which case, only the second sentence with sg. verb is grammatically correct.

Last edited by NateD26 on Tue Mar 19, 2013 2:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Paul Derouda wrote:But isn't the subject τα παιδια? The verb is in the passive. I think this rather illustrates the point that a neuter plural subject often takes a singular verb. So both sentences mean the same, "the children were bought free with gifts".

That's certainly a possibility. In which case, only the second sentence with sg. verb is grammatically correct.

Not necessarily. See Smyth §959."A plural verb may be used when stress is laid on the fact that the neuter plural subject is composed of persons or of several parts"

Paul Derouda wrote:But isn't the subject τα παιδια? The verb is in the passive. I think this rather illustrates the point that a neuter plural subject often takes a singular verb. So both sentences mean the same, "the children were bought free with gifts".

That's certainly a possibility. In which case, only the second sentence with sg. verb is grammatically correct.

Not necessarily. See Smyth §959."A plural verb may be used when stress is laid on the fact that the neuter plural subject is composed of persons or of several parts"

I stand corrected, although I don't quite understand what is the emphasis with a plural verb.